Strikeforce Fedor vs. Silva: Great Expectations for Emelianenko At the Match

In the wake of Fedor Emelianenko's first legitimate loss (his loss in 2000 would have been "no contest" or "disqualification win" if he could have continued in the tournament), expectations are as high as ever for the Russian to perform.

I suppose that will happen when you dominate the heavyweight division for a decade.

Over a hundred MMA fans on B/R voted who they thought would have the most impressive performance out of the four heavyweight stars competing in the Grand Prix quarter-finals this Saturday.

At the time of writing, 80% have chosen Fedor Emelianenko.

Impressive considering he is fighting a 265-pound Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and muay thai practitioner with a professional record of 15-2.

In the recent Strikeforce press-conference, Emelianenko admitted that he is feeling his age and thinking about retirement more and more.

Similar talk was heard from Anderson Silva in recent years but the potentially suspect mentality did not hinder his subsequent performances. MMA fans and media expect Emelianenko to perform similarly.

Most odds makers have Emelianenko as a big time favorite at around -500.

Anything can happen in MMA, but when it comes to Emelianenko, a virtuoso performance is the norm. That is what separates him from other fighters and it is why expectations for him are as great as anybody competing.

The aforementioned poll can be found here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/602470-strikeforce-fedor-vs-silva-betting-odds-and-predictions

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